Landmark gas station in Bethesda OK’d for apartments, retail

Project earns newest round of approvals on way to construction

The story was corrected on July 12, 2013. An explanation follows the story.

A Bethesda institution since 1929, Eastham’s Exxon Servicenter stopped selling gas in September of last year.

And now the corner parcel at 7100 Wisconsin Ave. that hosts the landmark gas station is one step closer to its new life as the site of a luxury apartment building. On Thursday, the Montgomery County Planning Board approved the latest preliminary and site plans for the Washington Property’s plans for the property. .

The building, on a little more than a half-acre, will feature ground-floor retail space and a high-rise with 145 apartments.

The units will be mostly one and two bedrooms, with a smattering of three-bedroom and studio apartments. The retail space will be from 6,000 to 6,500 square feet, according to documents.

The property is at the corner of Woodmont and Wisconsin avenues and the site is L-shaped, with its longest side along Woodmont Avenue.

It is within walking distance of the Bethesda Metro station, the future Purple Line station, the Capital Crescent Trail and many restaurants and stores.

Although the master plan calls for the height on the site to be capped at 75 feet, the developer was able to get approval for 120 feet in exchange for making 15 percent of the apartments available as so-called moderately priced dwelling units.

The building will not uniformly be 120 feet in height; it will step down to 45 feet on Woodmont Avenue.

A commissioned art piece by Alan Binstock is expected to be installed near the intersection of Woodmont and Wisconsin avenues, said C. Robert Dalrymple, a lawyer with Linowes and Blocher, which represents the developer.

Dalrymple described the sculpture as a multilayered glass and resin piece, which “at different times of the day — based on the sun — looks like it’s dancing.”

Part of the approval hinged on the developer committing to enhancing nearby Eastham Park, at the corner of Woodmont Avenue and Leland Street.

Explanation: The original version misspelled the last name of C. Robert Dalrymple and misstated the location of Eastham Park.